Overview

Full Product Details

9780691089966

Table of Contents

Reviews

This book shows not only how the 76 million boomers have been shaped by such seeking but how they have remapped the spiritual landscape for all Americans; boomers have shifted attention from the institution to the individual, emphasized 'lived religion' (religion in practice) and created a 'quest culture'. -- Publishers Weekly Baffingly diverse and in a state of historic flux, American religion today defies easy generalization. Wade Clark Roof has tackled the challenge admirably, doing a yeoman's job at compiling vast amounts of often surprising information... -- Los Angeles Times Roof's work thoughtfully articulates the introspective fluidity of the baby-boom generation he studies. -- Publishers Weekly What does it mean [to be] spiritual? That's what Roof has set out to ask and to answer: to track, capture, and name the current varieties of religious or spiritual experience in America. What he's come up with is a kind of metaphysical seed-catalog, a bewildering array of groups and sub-groups, beliefs and opinions, views and world-views, much of it mixed and matched. -- Mark Buchanan, Books & Culture Roof writes in a jargon-free, accessible style, often lucidly summarizing (and challenging) the arguments of other sociologists and cultural observers. -- Choice This is a terrific book ... Roof clearly demonstrates the old saw that people create their gods, not vice versa. -- The Key Reporter, Phi Beta Kappa Full of interesting findings and provocative interpretations. -- Sociology of Religion This is a seminal study for the sociology of religion. It should be considered indispensable to anyone trying to take the spiritual pulse of America. -- John A. Coleman, S.J., Spiritus A significant contribution to understanding trends in the lived religion of many Americans in their question for meaning. -- Jackson W. Carroll, Journal of the American Academy of Religion

This book shows not only how the 76 million boomers have been shaped by such seeking but how they have remapped the spiritual landscape for all Americans; boomers have shifted attention from the institution to the individual, emphasized 'lived religion' (religion in practice) and created a 'quest culture'. Publishers Weekly Baffingly diverse and in a state of historic flux, American religion today defies easy generalization. Wade Clark Roof has tackled the challenge admirably, doing a yeoman's job at compiling vast amounts of often surprising information... Los Angeles Times Roof's work thoughtfully articulates the introspective fluidity of the baby-boom generation he studies. Publishers Weekly What does it mean [to be] spiritual? That's what Roof has set out to ask and to answer: to track, capture, and name the current varieties of religious or spiritual experience in America. What he's come up with is a kind of metaphysical seed-catalog, a bewildering array of groups and sub-groups, beliefs and opinions, views and world-views, much of it mixed and matched. -- Mark Buchanan Books & Culture Roof writes in a jargon-free, accessible style, often lucidly summarizing (and challenging) the arguments of other sociologists and cultural observers. Choice This is a terrific book ... Roof clearly demonstrates the old saw that people create their gods, not vice versa. The Key Reporter, Phi Beta Kappa Full of interesting findings and provocative interpretations. Sociology of Religion This is a seminal study for the sociology of religion. It should be considered indispensable to anyone trying to take the spiritual pulse of America. -- John A. Coleman S.J., Spiritus A significant contribution to understanding trends in the lived religion of many Americans in their question for meaning. -- Jackson W. Carroll Journal of the American Academy of Religion

Author Information

Wade Clark Roof, a well-known commentator on religious trends in the United States, is the J. F. Rowny Professor of Religion and Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the author of eight books, including A Generation of Seekers: The Spiritual Lives of the Baby Boom Generation.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available